Trekking across the Southwestern US as an elementary schooler wasn’t an easy feat, but even at that age I remember feeling the need to take in all the sights I saw because of how incredible they were. The Grand Canyon, upon seeing it for the first time, looked like a painting. I couldn’t believe how vast and intricate the red rocks were, and hiking through it was a formative experience. All of the pins on my hat are collected from each national park that we went to, and I’d say I put in the work for them. This trip was also the first time that I had gone outside of New England in the US, so experiencing firsthand how crazy the terrains can get broadened my view on the geographic diversity of the US.